Spindle-driving device for spinning-machines



(No Model.)

T. VANDERWEEL. SPINDLE DRIVING DEVIGE FOR SPINNING MAGHINES.

Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

TUNIS VANDERXVEEL, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

SPINDLE-DRIVING DEVICE FOR SPINNING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,842, dated October1, 1889. Application filed June 4, 1889. Serial No. 313,083. (No model.)

To a-ZZ ll/Twin it may concern:

Be it known that LTUNis VANDER\VEEL, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester, in theState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSpindle-Driving Devices for Spinnin-Machines, of which the following isa description in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as willenable any one skilled in the art to which my invention appertai'ns orwith which it is most nearly connected to make and use the same,

reference being had to the annexed drawings,

making a part of this specification, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of drawings.

My invention consists of a novel tensionregulator for the bands employedfor driving spindles in ordinary spinning or twisting machines, ormachines where power is transmitted from a drum to a small revolvingshaft; and it consists of certain novel parts and combinations of partsconstituting an improved apparatus for this purpose.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a plan viewof the driving-band, cylinder, and spindles of a spinning-machine withmy improved tension-regulat-or applied thereto, the spindles being shownin part. Fig. 2 illustrates a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is adetail view of the tension-regulator detached from the machine.

The following is a description of the devices illustrated in theaccompanying drawings,

I which show, among other things, my improved regulator in the form inwhich I now prefer to embody my invention. It will, however, beunderstood that my invention is not limited to the precise devicesshown, as various modifications may obviously be made an d parts may beomitted without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scopeof the claims concluding this specification, in which the novel anddistinguishing features of my invention will be separately andparticularly designated.

Referring to Fig. 1, A is a frame or box attached to the machine.XVithin said box is a cylinder or drum B, extending the entire lengthofthe machine and connected with any suitable source of power.

D D are whirls attached to the spindleshafts M M, of any suitableconstruction.

C is a driving-band, by means of which the motion of the cylinder B istransmitted to the spiiidle shafts M M, to operate the same.

Instead of each whirl being provided with a separate and independentdriving-band, as is common in spinning-machines, I prefer to employ oneband to drive several whirls by passing it backward and forward over thedrum and around the whirls, substantially as shown in the drawings. Ihave here shown ten whirls driven by a single continuous band, and Ihave found by experience that with the tension devices hereinafterdescribed at least that number of whirls may be conveniently driven byone continuous band.

As is now well understood in the arts, atmospheric changes cause thedriving-bands to shrink and expand, and it is therefore highly desirableto provide the machine with some means of compensating for thesechanges, so that the tension of the drivingband may be kept constant.Such a device is illustrated in the drawings, and constitutes thesubject-matter of my present invention.

Referring to Fi 1, it will be seen that the driving-band, after leavingthe last pulley on each end of the series of the whirls which it drives,is made to pass over an idler-pulley J which idler-pulley is attached toa tensionarm I, connected with the coiled spring H, supported on thebracket G, attached to the frame of the machine. This device in detailis illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The bracket G is provided witha slot K and bolt K, by means of which it may be bolted to the frame ofthe machine and its position varied and adjusted forward or backward tobring its forward end in the desired position. On the forward end ofthis bracket is attached a coiled spring l-I, terminating in thetension-arm I, said coiled spring being attached to the bracket by meansof a bolt N, preferably provided with a screw-threaded end, to which anut N is attached. to clamp the parts together and hold the spring inthe required position. The tension-arm I carries an idler-pulley J,carried by a hub attached to a sleeve J, passing over the tension-arm I,which sleeve is provided .with a set-screwL, by means of which theposition of the idler on the tension-arm may be varied. The pulley J isarranged between the upper and lower bands passing from the driving-drumto the several whirls. Attached to this same bracket G is anothersimilar coiled spring, tensionarm, and idler-pulley to regulate thetension of the driving band on another series of whirls, substantiallyin the manner herein described. These springs are separated by the toeof the bracket G, as shown in Fig, 2.

It will be observed that the idlerpulley is placed between the upper andlower bands passing from the driving-drum to the several whirls. In thisposition it is able to take up the slack of the band without tending todraw it off the end whirls and without subjecting said'whirls to unusualstrain, thus avoiding the necessity for additional idler-pulleys toguide the band, which are for many reasons objectionable. By thisarrangement the banding ofthe machine maybe changed to reverse theoperation of the spindles without inconvenience and without changing theadjustment of the parts.

Themostcommonmethodoftransmittingthe motion of the cylinder B to theseveral whirls of the machine is, I have hereinbefore pointed out, byseparate driving-bands, which whirls being provided by an independentband. passing around the cylinder and around the whirl. This means ofdriving the whirls is exceedingly objectionable, because the bands haveto be made tight to prevent slipping, and a slight change in the lengthof the band,due to stretching by use and to atmospheric conditions,interferes with the proper spinning of the yarn and results in an unevenand unsatisfactory product. Besides, the strain upon the driving-band inmachines of this character is very severe, owing to the fact that themotion of the driving-drum is not uniform, but is stopped and reversedduring each complete cycle of motions of the machine. This causes suchbands frequently to break, and much time is consumed in repairing them.To overcome these difficulties, long continuous bands, each driving anumber of whirls and arranged substantially as shown in the drawings,have been used,

and with such bands regulating devices to take up the slack and tomaintain a constant I and uniform tension upon the bands have been keepit in running order. It is exceedingly efficient and furnishes means forready and satisfactory adjustment.

It will be seen by reference to the drawings that the position of thecoiled spring H may be varied and the direction of the tensionarm Iadjusted to any desired position. Thus the nut Nmay be loosened, the armI turned to the desired position to obtain the requisite tension on theband, and then held there by tightening the nut N. The tension upon thedriving-bands may also be varied by moving the ILHGPPIIHGY J toward andaway from the spring H. As it approaches the spring II the tension onthe band will be increased, and as it moves away from the spring II thetension on the band will be decreased; also, by varying the position ofthe idler-pulley on the arm to suit different machines.

One of the advantages of making the tension device substantially asillustrated in the drawings, in which the tension-arm is made of springmetal. and is formed of anelongation of the coiled spring, consists inthe great flexibility. thus imparted to the device and its readyadaptation to all conditions of use. In many, if not all, of the tension-regulators heretofore made great care has to be exercised inproperly attaching the device to the machine and'in adjusting it to therequired work. In my tension regulator, however, the parts which supportthe idler-pulley are so completely supple that the pulley will readilyaccommodate itself to the bands without necessitating the exercise ofany considerable amount of care in placing it on the machine. Besides,the bands which operate the spindlessometimes move in one direction andsometimes in another during the operation of twisting,

backing, and winding the yarn, and these changes of direction are madesuddenly. If the idler-pulley be unable to move readilyin any givendireetiointhe liability of wearing and breaking the bands and of runningthe bands off said pulley or off the whirls is very great. In thestructure above described, however, it will be observed that thespring-support of the idler-pulley permits it to movein any directionwithout undue strain upon the band, while it gives a constant and eventension upon the band. The coiled spring H per mits it to move forwardand backward. The elasticity of the arm I permits it to move up anddown, and the twisting or torsion of the arm I insures the pulleystanding always in exactly the line of the band passing around itwithout requiring very careful adjustment to.

attain this end. The sleeve to which the pulley is attached may not onlybe moved longitudinally on the arm I, but it may also be turned tosecure the desired inclination of the pulley and firmly held in positionby the set-screw L. This adjustment is a matter of considerableimportance, because it is desirable to have only enough tension on thedrivlng-bands to prevent slipping, and any unnec- I the position of theidler maybe determined essary increase of tension diminishes the life ofthe bands materially under the strain to which they are put in stoppingand reversing the whirls. Again, by having the idler-pulley adj ustablyattached to the tension-arm, if more or less than ten whirls arearranged in series driven by a single band, the idler may be readilymoved to a central position without changing the position of thesupportingbracket.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1S*

1. In spindle-driving devices for spinningmachines, the combination of aspindle, a driving-drum, a driving-band, a tension-arm made of springmetal coiled at one end to form a spring and having its other end free,and a sleeve to which said pulley is attached longitudinally adjustableon said arm, substantially as described.

In spindle-driving devices for spinning machines, the combination of aseries of spindles, a driving-drum, ,a drivingband passing alternatelyabout the drum and the spindles and from one end spindle to the otherend spindle, a bracket, a spring, a tension-arm controlled by saidspring, an idler-pulley, and a sleeve to which said pulley is attachedlongitudinally adjustable on said arm,said pulley being arranged betweenthe" bands passing over and under said driving drum to the whirls andacting on the band between the end spindles, substantially as described.

3. In a tension-regulator for spindle-driving bands, the combination ofa spindle, a driving-drum, a driving-band, a spring, a tension-armcontrolled by said spring, a bracket to which said spring is attached,and a set screw for securing said spring to said bracket and foradjusting the tension of said spring, substantially as described.

4. In spindle-driving devices for spinning machines, the combination ofa series of spindles, a driving-drum, a driving-band passing alternatelyabout the drum and the spindles and from one end spindle to the otherend spindle, a bracket, a *spring, a tension-arm controlled by saidspring, an idler-pulley, a sleeve to which said pulley is attachedlongitudinally adjustable on said arm, said tension-arm being made ofspring metal and having a free end adapted to move up and down as wellas forward and back, and said pulley being arranged between the bandspassing over and under said drivingdrum to the whirls and acting on theband between the end spindles, substantially as described,

TUNIS VANDERW'EEL.

Witnesses:

GEo. G. WErMoRE, J r., 'IHos. SKIPPER.

